Preventing Cardiac Sequelae in Pediatric Cancer Survivors

Cancer therapy can place childhood cancer survivors at increased risk for heart disease which can lead to significant illness or early death. Interventions that occur late in the evolution of treatment-related heart disease are usually ineffective at preventing its progression to death or heart transplant. Our team will work in several research cores to test new imaging and biomarker methods that will lead to earlier detection of heart disease before clinical symptoms develop or it become apparent on standard imaging tests. We will evaluate the importance of genetic differences between individuals in determining who is at greatest risk of developing heart disease as a result of exposure to cardiotoxic agents. We will combine this genetic information with the novel imaging and biomarker methods to predict which children are at particular risk. These vulnerable children can then be targeted by modifying their cancer therapy to reduce their exposure to cardiac toxins, or introducing medications that protect the heart from chemotherapy damage. This team brings together the expertise of clinicians and scientists in pediatric oncology, pediatric and adult cardiology, radiation oncology, genetics, and biostatistics. This is a cross-Canada initiative that will leverage the latest knowledge about cardiac toxicity and create a resource for ongoing research into this important cause of morbidity and mortality in childhood cancer survivors.